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Metro Nashville school board vote not one issue

Tennessean editorial
10:11 p.m. CDT August 1, 2014

Campaign worker Jack Williams stands in front of the Howard Office Building during the state primary and county general election first day of early voting on July 18.
(Photo:
Mark Zaleski / File / The Tennessean
)

Metro Nashville's school board elections this year have taken on an added level of intensity given the influence of contributions from pro-charter organizations; that and the fact that Schools Director Jesse Register's contract will be up for renewal in 2015.

Four of the board's nine seats will be decided in the Aug. 7 general election. In some of those races, the best person for the job is in fact the candidate who is perceived to be a supporter of charters; in some, it is not. The Tennessean Editorial Board weighed well the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and made its determinations on the individual candidate's ability to represent the people of his or her district and, first and foremost, do what is right by the 81,000 children in the system.

District 2. JoAnn Brannon has served the longest among current school board members, having been elected in 2006. Her decades of experience as a public school teacher and principal have served her well in understanding Dr. Register's programs and policies. Her reticence on many of the challenges facing the district, however, may not be the best approach for her district, one of the county's fastest-growing areas.

Challenger Edward Arnold, a computer instructor at Nashville State, does not appear to be running a serious campaign.

Challenger Bernie Driscoll, a site catalyst and digital marketing consultant, has. The Metro schools parent advocate of 15 years has actively campaigned as an alternative voice, challenging the status quo on the rigor of the career-based Academies of Nashville, in the process capturing the ear and the dollars of pro-charter groups, without being in thrall to those groups.

The Editorial Board appreciates that while programs like the Academies are rightly praised, the school board needs members who will push the system to do even better. The board endorses Bernie Driscoll.

District 4. Anna Shepherd currently serves District 4, the Donelson-Hermitage area. Shepherd, like Brannon, most often aligns herself with Dr. Register, but she has also shown herself to be a bridge builder between differing school board factions who is open to more charters.

Challenger Rhonda F. Dixon, a software tester and HCA consultant, is a grandparent of Metro students, including a charter student. She, too, speaks well of focusing on the overall student population while touting what charters have done for her loved ones.

Pam Swoner, owner of an online retail company, details a list of complaints about Metro schools, but has not articulated a positive agenda for the school board.

Ms. Dixon would make a good addition to the school board, but Ms. Shepherd's experience as a consensus builder gives her the edge. The Tennessean endorses Anna Shepherd.

District 6. Cheryl D. Mayes is the sitting board member for District 6 (Antioch) and chairs the board. Unfortunately, leadership has been the key component missing on the board. When Ms. Mayes has discussed her accomplishments during her tenure, they are Dr. Register's contributions. Regardless of whether the District 6 board member chairs the body or not, the district needs a more representative and active voice.

Challenger Tyese R. Hunter could fill that need. The TSU speech pathologist, Metro parent and advocate for special-needs kids supports charter options, but her perspective is broader than that, with insight on disadvantaged children and minority communities.

The Editorial Board endorses Tyese Hunter.

District 8. The most hotly contested school board is for the seat being vacated by Michael Hayes. District 8 is one of the most affluent in Nashville, and includes Green Hills, Oak Hill and West End.

Becky Sharpe, an owner of two education-related businesses and Metro parent, has squared off against Mary Pierce, a former director of development at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music who now is a stay-at-home mom of four children. The kids are enrolled in traditional, charter and private schools.

The fact that private schools are in Ms. Pierce's family equation has been used against her by Ms. Sharpe's supporters, but given Pierce's active work at her neighborhood public school, the Editorial Board takes her broader view as a strength, while Ms. Sharpe appears too entrenched against school choice. And criticism of Ms. Pierce's stint focusing on raising her children should be considered an asset and a fresh perspective for the school board.

There should be room for valid and qualified choice options in a system as large as Metro. The Tennessean endorses Mary Pierce. And we call for all who have a stake in Metro Nashville Public Schools to consider all of its students and their needs.